And the widgets start rolling in...
By Charles McCathieNevile. Saturday, 5. August 2006, 12:55:12
Well, it has taken some people a while to get into widgets. After all, just knowing that writing
and
is easy. Put them in the same directory as config.xml and index.html, open the config.xml in Opera 9.01 (or 9 if you haven't upgraded yet), and you have made a widget.
Put them in a zip file together, register at http://widgets.opera.com and upload your widget, remember to tick the checkbox that includes it in the Widget World Cup, and you're a published widget developer. Come by our stand to tell us your username and widget name by 1800 today and you are in the running for the assembly prizes. Win and you get first pick between the
But the hard part seems to be thinking of a widget that is a bit more interesting than that, to win one of those prizes. Maybe people are thinking they need to re-write the office suite. But there aren't that many people at Assembly - don't be frightened to write something small, simple and useful or entertaining.
The good news is that it isn't hard. Whether (like me) you are terrified of javascript, and just want to write something simple in SVG or HTML, or you expect a DOM API to your breakfast and write scripts to wash your dishes, you just put together something that would work on a web page.
The fastest developers I saw sat down at one of the computers on the stand for half an hour and got their entries completed. Although once your widget is registered, you can update it with your improved version until midnight tonight...
So keep them coming folks.
<widget> <widgetname>My hello world widget</widgetname> <width>100</width> <height>100</height> </widget>
and
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Hi</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1 style="background:#dff">Hi!</h1>
</body>
</html>
is easy. Put them in the same directory as config.xml and index.html, open the config.xml in Opera 9.01 (or 9 if you haven't upgraded yet), and you have made a widget.
Put them in a zip file together, register at http://widgets.opera.com and upload your widget, remember to tick the checkbox that includes it in the Widget World Cup, and you're a published widget developer. Come by our stand to tell us your username and widget name by 1800 today and you are in the running for the assembly prizes. Win and you get first pick between the
- Nintendo DS Lite with Opera on it
- Nokia N90 phone with Opera on it
- Nokia N770 tablet. Oh, yes, with Opera on it
But the hard part seems to be thinking of a widget that is a bit more interesting than that, to win one of those prizes. Maybe people are thinking they need to re-write the office suite. But there aren't that many people at Assembly - don't be frightened to write something small, simple and useful or entertaining.
The good news is that it isn't hard. Whether (like me) you are terrified of javascript, and just want to write something simple in SVG or HTML, or you expect a DOM API to your breakfast and write scripts to wash your dishes, you just put together something that would work on a web page.
The fastest developers I saw sat down at one of the computers on the stand for half an hour and got their entries completed. Although once your widget is registered, you can update it with your improved version until midnight tonight...
So keep them coming folks.
<select name="name1">
</select>
is from
<select name="country1">
</select>. As well as English he speaks
<input type="checkbox" name="lang1" value="fr" /> French,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang1" value="de" /> German,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang1" value="in" /> Hindi,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang1" value="is" /> Icelandic,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang1" value="it" /> Italian,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang1" value="no" /> Norwegian,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang1" value="es" /> Spanish
(<input type="checkbox" name="lang1" value="trouble" />enough to
get into trouble), <input type="checkbox" name="lang1" value="se" /> Swedish
(<input type="checkbox" name="lang1" value="badly" />badly). His position
at Opera is Chief Standards Officer, and his university degree was in
<input type="text" name="study1" />. He is sometimes better known as
<select name="nick1">
</select>.
<select name="name2">
</select>
is from
<select name="country2">
</select>. As well as English she speaks
<input type="checkbox" name="lang2" value="fr" /> French,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang2" value="de" /> German,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang2" value="in" /> Hindi,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang2" value="is" /> Icelandic,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang2" value="it" /> Italian,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang2" value="no" /> Norwegian,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang1" value="es" />Spanish
(<input type="checkbox" name="lang2" value="trouble" /> enough to
get into trouble), <input type="checkbox" name="lang2" value="se" /> Swedish
(<input type="checkbox" name="lang2" value="badly" />badly).
She is a developer on Opera for mobile phones, working on the the symbian
browser. She is sometimes better known as
<select name="nick2">
</select>, and has recently been trying out her new
<select name="plays2">
</select>.
<select name="name7">
</select>
is from
<select name="country7">
</select>. As well as English he speaks
<input type="checkbox" name="lang7" value="fr" /> French,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang7" value="de" /> German,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang1" value="in" /> Hindi,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang7" value="is" /> Icelandic,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang7" value="it" /> Italian,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang7" value="no" /> Norwegian,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang7" value="es" /> Spanish
(<input type="checkbox" name="lang7" value="trouble" />enough to
get into trouble), <input type="checkbox" name="lang7" value="se" /> Swedish
(<input type="checkbox" name="lang7" value="badly" />badly).
He is a developer on Web Applications specialising in Widgets. He is
sometimes better known as
<select name="nick7">
</select>
, and recently developed the
<select name="dev7">
</select>
.
<select name="name3">
</select>
is from
<select name="Country3">
</select>. As well as English he speaks
<input type="checkbox" name="lang3" value="fr" /> French,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang3" value="de" /> German,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang3" value="in" /> Hindi,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang3" value="is" /> Icelandic,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang3" value="it" /> Italian,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang3" value="no" /> Norwegian,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang3" value="es" />Spanish
(<input type="checkbox" name="lang3" value="trouble" />enough to
get into trouble), <input type="checkbox" name="lang3" value="se" /> Swedish
(<input type="checkbox" name="lang3" value="badly" />badly).
He works in the Quality Assurance and Services
department, where he somehow managed to be the person who organised Opera's
presence at the Assembly'06. He is sometimes better known as
<select name="nick3">
</select>. His preferred music style is
<select name="music3">
</select>.
<select name="name4">
</select>
is from
<select name="country4">
</select>. As well as English he speaks
<input type="checkbox" name="lang4" value="fr" /> French,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang4" value="de" /> German,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang4" value="in" /> Hindi,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang4" value="is" /> Icelandic,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang4" value="it" /> Italian,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang4" value="no" /> Norwegian,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang4" value="es" />Spanish
(<input type="checkbox" name="lang4" value="trouble" /> enough to
get into trouble), <input type="checkbox" name="lang4" value="se" /> Swedish
(<input type="checkbox" name="lang4" value="badly" /> badly).
He works as a developer on the Opera mini browser. He is one of the main
organisers of <input type="text" />. He is sometimes better known as
<select name="nick4">
</select>.
<select>
</select>
is from
<select name="country6">
</select>. As well as English he speaks
<input type="checkbox" name="lang6" value="fr" /> French,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang6" value="de" /> German,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang6" value="in" /> Hindi,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang6" value="is" /> Icelandic,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang6" value="it" /> Italian,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang6" value="no" /> Norwegian,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang6" value="es" />Spanish
(<input type="checkbox" name="lang6" value="trouble" /> enough to
get into trouble), <input type="checkbox" name="lang6" value="se" /> Swedish
(<input type="checkbox" name="lang6" value="badly" />badly).
He works in Opera's Web applications team and came
<input type="text" name="compoResult6" /> in the demo competition at Assembly2005. He is
sometimes better known as
<select name="nick6">
</select>.
<select name="name5">
</select>
is from
<select name="country5">
</select>. As well as English he speaks
<input type="checkbox" name="lang5" value="fr" /> French,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang5" value="de" /> German,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang5" value="in" /> Hindi,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang5" value="is" /> Icelandic,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang5" value="it" /> Italian,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang5" value="no" /> Norwegian,
<input type="checkbox" name="lang5" value="es" />Spanish
(<input type="checkbox" name="lang5" value="trouble" />enough to
get into trouble), <input type="checkbox" name="lang5" value="se" /> Swedish
(<input type="checkbox" name="lang5" value="badly" />badly).
He works in Opera's Web applications team, and in the standards group where
he participates in
<select name="W3Cwork5">
</select>. He is sometimes better known as
<select name="nick5">
</select>.
WIDGETIZE